LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl was spotted dining outdoors at a restaurant in Santa Monica hours after voting to uphold a ban on outdoor dining in LA County due to a surge in COVID-19 cases, according to media reports.
Kuehl had dinner at Il Forno Trattoria on Nov. 24, soon after voting to uphold the county’s new restrictions that were announced two days before, according to Fox11, which said it received multiple tips. During the board meeting, Kuehl called outdoor dining “a most dangerous situation.”
A representative for Kuehl told Fox11, “She did dine al fresco at Il Forno on the very last day it was permissible. She loves Il Forno, has been saddened to see it, like so many restaurants, suffer from a decline in revenue. She ate there, taking appropriate precautions, and sadly will not dine there again until our Public Health Orders permit.”
Kuehl was one of three board members voting to allow the ban to take effect as scheduled, while board members Kathryn Barger and Janice Hahn asked that outdoor dining be allowed to continue, arguing that the ban is too punitive to restaurants in response to a surge that has largely been blamed on private gatherings rather than outdoor dining.
“This is a serious health emergency and we must take it seriously,” Kuehl said, according to Fox11. “The servers are not protected from us, and they’re not protected from their other tables that they’re serving at that particular time, plus all the hours in which they’re working.”
The county Department of Public Health announced Nov. 22 that in-person dining would be halted at 10 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25, and continuing for three weeks. The move came in response to a surge that has now seen new daily COVID- 19 cases average more than 4,000 over the previous five days.
“Outdoor dining is probably more dangerous in terms of contagion than any other kind of business,” Kuehl said at the time. Kuehl said diners at restaurants “sit for hours with no masks on” and are in close proximity to servers and patrons walking by.
Mike says
Her first name should be Butch!
Diana says
VOTE DEMOCRAT! KEEP THE TRAIN WRECK GOING!
Duh says
Sheila Kuehl: “Silly peasants, these Covid rules are for thee, NOT for me! “
XB51 says
All politicians are knaves, and we vote for them thinking they’re going to make life better for us.
Claire says
“She loves Il Forno.” Elitist, superficial proclivities. Kuehl called outdoor dining “a most dangerous situation.” She loves dangerous situations.
Dave says
Consider that the Trump Crime Family and its enablers were infected at least 50 times in and around the White House. Nearly all of the Trump family got infected. For that reason alone they shouldn’t be in charge of running the government or supervising an ant farm.
They had superspreader gatherings where people got infected and they KEPT DOING IT.
Meanwhile, very few Democrats were infected during the same period.
How can that be if the Republicans are so so “smart”? Well, no. They aren’t. They talk big outta their “hidden” orifices down there.
And, guess who believes what they say? You’re soaking in it with Not Suprised, Loam, Ron, Ruby, et al.
It’s all good. They will whine the next 4 years about this and that or maybe the rest of their lives and then die.
We just have to learn to appreciate their whining for what it is….the death throes of the Republican Party. Yeah!
All it needs is a burial to be complete. The number for Waste Management is (661) 947-7197. Place the GOP at the curb. No need to separate. There’s nothing recyclable.
Footsteps says
Covid-19 doesn’t care what political party you belong to. California has one of the highest rates of infections and too many people are dying because the selfish rebels among us are going to live their lives not wearing masks or social distancing. As long as it doesn’t affect them they don’t care about the children, adults, senior citizens they encounter. This isn’t about Democrats and Republicans, it’s about having a selfless mind-set and doing all we can as individuals to keep others safe, doing our part.
Not Surprised says
Another entitled Karen…
Loam says
Items like this are normally shrugged off as partisan attacks, but I wish that the politicians would explain the discrepancies between the words they use and the deeds they do.
There is no way that Kuehl actually believes that we are putting servers and other patrons at risk by dining out AND then actually do it. I know that her spokesperson says that it was legal on that last night, but (by her thinking) the server and other patrons were still at risk! The risk did not change just because the health permits changed.
The same thing with Gavin Newsom. I knew he said he was sorry, but that did not explain why he did not wear his mask between each bite while eating out, as he advised us all to do. Why are these people not held to their own standard?
Dismayed Democrat says
Unfortunately, the mindset of the people running the California Democratic Party is “do what I say, and I’ll do what I want”, which is not a good look.
A lot of people, even longtime Democrats, are seeing this and are getting increasingly irked by it all. I am one.
Sylvia Robles says
I used to like Sheila Keuhl. Before moving to the Antelope Valley, I lived in Keuhl’s district (Santa Monica). She was also our Assemblywoman and State Senator. These last few years, though, I feel she has become corrupt and power hungry. She used her office to get a friend in on a Metro contract. She is trying to “fire” our ELECTED Sheriff rather than letting him serve out his term and now this. I am sure she will have all of her meals catered by her favorite restaurants where she lives in Pacific Palisades. She really needs to be voted out!
Paul says
Hypocrisy abounds. We have our Lancaster mayor claiming that Bangladesh will disappear in our lifetime because of global warming, yet he flies around in his own private plane. He also has the Eye in the Sky flying around polluting the air while crime rises.
Dismayed Democrat says
This article isn’t about Rex, though.
That horse is dead and buried and the bones are disintegrating into powder…yet, you want to keep beating it?!?!?!?
Ron says
She should be fired and fined.
Ruby says
… coronavirus lock-down orders are only for the little people –
Dobie Gillis says
Just say while laughing at your audience, “I’m sorry”, and all is forgiven. THAT, is the DEMOCRATIC WAY!
Beecee says
Str8 mutant!
Dobie Gillis says
Yes she is.